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>> just really excited to finally get back to work, but i knew there were some limitations that i was going to have. >> several hours into their shift, it's turning out to be an uneventful evening. not a bad first night as corporal denton eases his way back into the job. >> we'd had a few service calls. i think we might have made a traffic stop or two. nothing stressful, nothing really big. >> but at 1:38 a.m. their night goes from zero to 60 in a matter of seconds. they're dispatched to a car accident that happens to be a block away from their location. >> it was one of those situations with as soon as we got on scene, we knew action had to be taken right now. >> the vehicle is on fire. >> my first reaction was to get out of the car and check to make sure nobody's inside of the vehicle. >> the clock is ticking and the officers have to work fast to assess the situation. >> how many people are in here? i could tell there was no window, but there was something blocking my view.
but corporal chris denton is recovering from a back injury, so he's riding shotgun with corporal phillip crosby. >> just really excited to finally get back to work, but i knew there were some limitations that i was going to have. >> several hours into their shift, it's turning out to be an uneventful evening. not a bad first night as corporal denton eases his way back into the job. >> we'd had a few service calls. i think we might have made a traffic stop or two. nothing stressful, nothing really big. >> but at 1:38 a.m. their night goes from zero to 60 in a matter of seconds. they're dispatched to a car accident that happens to be a block away from their location. >> it was one of those situations with as soon as we got on scene, we knew action had to be taken right now. >> the vehicle is on fire. >> my first reaction was to get out of the car and check to make sure nobody's inside of the vehicle. >> the clock is ticking and the
fire when the officers pull him out of the car. >> 353, please. we've extracted one. at that point, we're all in the bottom of the ditch, the grass around the car was on fire at that point, too. we're basically still surrounded by smoke and flame. we had to move him again after we had gotten him out of the car just because the flames were starting to get toward him again. >> his feet were still on fire. i remember pulling it out with my hands. and at that time, i immediately started trying to talk to him because i knew he'd probably go into shock if we didn't, so i kept on trying to talk to him. i remember him saying, wow, i can't breathe. >> emergency responders arrive four minutes after crosby and denton. >> everybody just started doing their job as far as taking care of the accident scene. ems was taking care of sean. it was so hot, the car fire was so hot and the smoke was so much, i remember having to back off because i couldn't breathe. >> they're able to get the blaze
personal life wasn't going so well. i started drinking a lot. alcohol's a bad deal. and, you know, you do a lot of stupid stuff. >> a downward spiral almost ended sean's life. but after years of recovery and rehabilitation, he has a new set of legs and a new perspective. >> i miss a lot of things, but i see a lot more now. i mean, it's a different life. you notice things differently. you notice more about people and you see people's situations. >> the accident changes the lives of everyone involved that night. corporals crosby and denton are named policemen of the month by the national law enforcement officers memorial fund. >> not too many times that you take and pull somebody out of a vehicle that's on fire. >> sean donates the remains of his car to the fayetteville police department. it's part of a show and tell presentation he gives students on the dangers of drunk driving. >> the pain that i put my family through and the fact that i
>> i can't breathe. get me out! >> every second that went by, it was getting hotter and hotter. >> horrified at seeing someone burning alive on his watch, corporal crosby starts tearing at the passenger door, bending and pulling it away from the car. >> we're trying to just create a big space to try to pull him out. >> corporate denton grabs a fire extinguisher from the patrol car. >> we got to use this fire extinguisher. >> hoping to fight back some of the flames. >> when the fire extinguisher went dry, i even turned it over and tried to break out the windshield. >> cover your eyes. >> just to give us access to the driver. >> holy -- >> i need help.
around the car was on fire at that point, too. we're basically still surrounded by smoke and flame. we had to move him again after we had gotten him out of the car just because the flames were starting to get toward him again. >> his feet were still on fire. i remember pulling it out with my hands. and at that time, i immediately started trying to talk to him because i knew he'd probably go into shock if we didn't, so i kept on trying to talk to him. i remember him saying, wow, i can't breathe. >> emergency responders arrive four minutes after crosby and denton. >> everybody just started doing their jo of the accident scene. ems was taking care of sean. it was so hot, the car fire was so hot and the smoke was so much, i remember having to back off because i couldn't breathe. >> they're able to get the blaze under control in just a few minutes. the officers are treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns, but it's sean whose life hangs in the balance.
flipped it twice, landing upright and in a ditch off the side of the road. >> business was going great. personal life wasn't going so well. i started drinking a lot. alcohol's a bad deal. and, you know, you do a lot of stupid stuff. >> a downward spiral almost ended sean's life. but after years of recovery and rehabilitation, he has a new set of legs and a new perspective. >> i miss a lot of things, but i see a lot more now. i mean, it's a different life. you notice things differently. you notice more about people and you see people's situations. >> the accident changes the lives of everyone involved that night. corporals crosby and denton are named policemen of the month by the national law enforcement officers memorial fund. >> not too many times that you take and pull somebody out of a vehicle that's on fire. >> sean donates the remains of his car to the fayetteville police department. it's part of a show and tell
burning alive on his watch, corporal crosby starts tearing at the passenger door, bending and pulling it away from the car. >> we're trying to just create a big space to try to pull him out. >> corporate denton grabs a fire extinguisher from the patrol car. >> we got to use this fire extinguisher. >> hoping to fight back some of the flames. >> when the fire extinguisher went dry, i even turned it over and tried to break out the windshield. >> cover your eyes. >> just to give us access to the driver. >> holy -- >> i need help. i can't breathe. >> i couldn't see anything inside the car. there's smoke everywhere. >> the fire is roaring, and the smoke is relentless. >> i can't breathe. get me out! >> they give it all they can to pull the door away far enough so they can both get inside and pull out the driver.
>> business was going great. personal life wasn't going so well. i started drinking a lot. alcohol's a bad deal. and, you know, you do a lot of stupid stuff. >> a downward spiral almost ended sean's life. but after years of recovery and rehabilitation, he has a new set of legs and a new perspective. >> i miss a lot of things, but i see a lot more now. i mean, it's a different life. you notice things differently. you notice more about people and you see people's situations. >> the accident changes the lives of everyone involved that night. corporals crosby and denton are named policemen of the month by the national law enforcement officers memorial fund. >> not too many times that you take and pull somebody out of a vehicle that's on fire. >> sean donates the remains of his car to the fayetteville police department. it's part of a show and tell presentation he gives students
bottom of the ditch, the grass around the car was on fire at that point, too. we're basically still surrounded by smoke and flame. we had to move him again after we had gotten him out of the car just because the flames were starting to get toward him again. >> his feet were still on fire. i remember pulling it out with my hands. and at that time, i immediately started trying to talk to him because i knew he'd probably go into shock if we didn't, so i kept on trying to talk to him. i remember him saying, wow, i can't breathe. >> emergency responders arrive four minutes after crosby and denton. >> everybody just started doing their job as far as taking care of the accident scene. ems was taking care of sean. it was so hot, the car fire was so hot and the smoke was so much, i remember having to back off because i couldn't breathe. >> they're able to get the blaze under control in just a few minutes. the officers are treated for